This Android based sat nav was sent to me by Alan, who used it for about a year before it started struggling to find satellites.
I'm wondering if the satellite reception issue was caused by degradation of the adhesive on the very rough internal screening, the impedance of the battery rising, or degradation of filter components.
The battery tested with a capacity of around 1Ah, and using a PSU in its place resulted in an active current draw of 600mA and a decent satellite lock.
The unit is reminiscent of the horrible low-spec tablets that came out when the Android system first appeared. Many manufacturers tried to make the units as cheap as possible, resulting in a very sluggish interface, but actually not that bad for an application like this. Google stopped supporting low-end devices a while ago, so they will have to rely on their own software. I'm not sure how easy it is to update maps on something like this. A modern tablet using Google Maps would be a preferred option.
My first experience of sat nav was a Tomtom Go. I was travelling with a film grip and he handed me the unit. I had never seen one before, and I was so impressed that the next day I went into the city centre and bought one. It made travelling to film, TV and other work locations infinitely easier than with maps.
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11 thoughts on “Inside a trashy sat-nav”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Terry Hayward says:

    I had a small Igo some years ago, back then it was not a bad unit. Nothing like the modern units though.

  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars DXing Slovenija says:

    I wonder how much interference did this have to produce for chinese to bother to shield the offending parts with aluminium tape

    Chinese usualy dont care for interference their equipment produces

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Thomas Coward says:

    I live in Barrow in furness just a ferry away from you lol

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Erick Neilson says:

    Glad I never bought one of those… I was tempted: I had a small laptop with a USB GPS and it was attached to a touch screen (I had to replace the touch panel component that had died) and it worked pretty good, but of course it eventually got stolen… surprise surprise.

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Running Wild says:

    GPS***

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Richard Hall says:

    I bought a very expensive truck sat nav that when you put the length hight weight ect that was supposed to gide you around low bridges ect it did none of these thing's it was useless then I bought a cheep Chinese truck sat nav that turned out to be excellent just go's to show that cheep isn't always crap

  7. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Joseph. says:

    I love my Samsung fancy pants note because it has a stylus built in
    Also Samsung phones have a sensitivity switch if you are having trouble with sensitivity
    For some reason android phones use pre-calibrated touch sensitivity and iPhones figured out how to have adaptive automatic sensitivity, iPhones tend to have a more consistent, less sensitive touch panel. I know some converts can't get used to either way because it's so different in a way that most people wouldn't think of

  8. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars ARSENICK412 says:

    "Gave her the wrong number and a bad addy (Tru)
    You ain’t going nowhere like a bad navi’
    Ass so big, I told her to look back at it (Whoa)
    Look back at it"

  9. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars paul clarke says:

    Clive I have samething to send to you where do send it please thanks

  10. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Theseus says:

    If your going to toss out batteries like that you should deposit them at a recycler if possible. They will dispose of them in a way that, hopefully, will end up with reclaiming the lithium.

  11. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Stephen Lamley says:

    Frutery aka fuckery.

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